Rik Smits scored 26 points and grabbed six boards to become the
Pacers' all-time leading rebounder as Indiana remained unbeaten
against the Vancouver Grizzlies with a 111-103 victory.

Smits has pulled down 4,497 rebounds since he was drafted in
1988, surpassing Herb Williams' previous mark by three.

"It's unbelievable, but it's too bad I didn't get it at home,"
Smits said. "I was kind of surprised. I figured Dale Davis
would have caught up to me by now, but he hasn't quite yet."

"The rebounding is mind-boggling to me. He must have been in
the league for 30 years to get that," Pacers coach Larry Bird
joked. "But he has nights when he rebounds very well and
tonight he played extremely well."

Bird revealed after the game that Smits was suffering from a
stomach virus prior to the contest. The 7-4 center was limited
to just 25 minutes but still shot 10-of-17 from the field and
made all six of his free throws.

"He wasn't feeling well before the game, so we limited his
time," Bird explained. "But when he was out there, he was very
effective."

Antonio Davis scored half of his 22 points in the fourth quarter
as Indiana improved to 6-0 all-time against Vancouver. Reggie
Miller added 20 points before getting ejected late in the final
period for arguing, but the Pacers still earned their third
straight victory in the opener of a three-game western road
swing.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 27 points and nine rebounds and Bryant
Reeves scored 21 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost seven
straight games and 14 of their last 15.

"We executed well, rebounded the ball well," Abdur-Rahim said.
"It was just one of those games where they had some spurts when
they went up a little bit and played better than us."

The game was knotted at halftime, 53-53, when Abdur-Rahim hit a
short hook to open the third period and give Vancouver the lead.
Dale Davis, who had 11 rebounds, came back with a free throw to
spark a 10-2 run that put Indiana ahead for good.

Smits had six points in the spurt, including a 16-footer that
capped it and opened a 63-57 lead with 6:22 remaining. A jumper
by Sam Mack, who scored 16 points, pulled Vancouver within
63-62, but Miller answered with a three-pointer.

"We knew they would come out charged up, which they did," Miller
said. "We played even ball with them in the first half and
separated ourselves in the second because of our defense."

Two free throws by Abdur-Rahim made it 68-66 with just under
four minutes left when the Pacers took control with a 12-4 run.
Miller opened that surge with a pair of foul shots and Jalen
Rose finished it with two free throws and a jumper, building the
lead to 80-70 with 39 seconds to go.

"The guys kept going to me early in the game and the Grizzlies
kept hanging around," Smits said. "Luckily, we got a 10-point
lead right at the end of the third quarter and sustained it
throughout the fourth."

Abdur-Rahim hit another pair from the line to cut the margin to
eight heading into the fourth, but two free throws by Antonio
Davis with 9:51 to play gave the Pacers their largest lead,
88-75.

Pete Chilcutt buried a pair of three-pointers around a free
throw by Indiana's Chris Mullin to pull the Grizzlies within
108-103 with 16 seconds left. After Antonio Davis hit a free
throw, Antonio Daniels missed a three-pointer and Mullin sealed
the win with two free throws in the waning seconds.

The Pacers turned Vancouver's 19 turnovers into 21 points. They
committed just 11 turnovers, resulting in only seven points for
the Grizzlies.

Vancouver, which has allowed 100 points or more in 15 straight
games, was outscored on the break, 15-3. The Pacers attempted
53 free throws, making 38, while Vancouver went 28-for-33 from
the line.

"Certainly I was much more pleased with our effort," said
Grizzlies coach Brian Hill. "The only thing that really
discouraged me was the 53 free throw attempts. Anytime you give
a team that many free throws, you're gonna have a tough time out
there."